Circuit breaker unit



Feb. 26, 1952 E VOGEL 2,587,013

CIRCUIT BREAKER UNIT Filed March 7, 1949 INVENTOR EDWARD A. VOGEL BY a.M

ATTORNEY er assembly'before repair can be effect d.

Patented Feb. 26, 1952 CIRCUIT BREAKER UNIT Edward A. Vogel, Beloit,Wis., assignor to Fair- 'banks, Morse & Co., Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application March '7, 1949, Serial No. 80,035

(01. ZOO-+30) Claims.

"I'hisinvention relates to improvements in circuitbreakers'for ignitionmagnetos and the like, an'd'has reference more particularly to animproved circuit breaker contact unit oicartridge character.

tion of the ignition system. Moreover, in the .older andprevailing'forms 'of'ignition magnetos,

the arrangement of the contact breaker mecha nism therein usually issuch as to require at least partial dismantling of the magneto in orderto expose the contacts for repair or replacement, the latter in manyinstances'requirin unscrewing or otherwise dismantlingparts of thecontact break- Accordingly, it is the principal purpose of the presentinvention to provide a circuit breaker contact assembly in cartridgeform, constructed and adapted for operative placement in a magneto unitsuch that in the event of contact failure, the contact cartridge unitmay be readily and easily removed and replaced with a new cartridgeunit, all without dismantling or otherwise disturbing the remainder ofthe magneto assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide acircuit breaker unit ofcartridge type, for ignition'magnetos and thelike, which may bequickly'removed upon contact failure and replaced by alike unit, andwherein the unit embodies means for facilitating proper location of thecartridge in the magneto assembly, the cartridge unit thus facilitatingready maintenance'of the ignition system and a reduction of servicingcosts.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appearreadily from the following description of a presently preferredembodiment thereof, assuch is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 isa longitudinal sectional elevation of the presentlyimprovedcartridge type circuit breaker contact assembly;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof, with the sectiontaken in a plane along line 2-2 in. Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a viewin end elevation at the head end of the cartridge unit;

Fig.4 is a longitudinal section of the outer casing element of thecartridge;

-Fig.5 is-a longitudinal sectional view of a contact carriagev memberadapted for slidable reception' in the casing member of Fig. 4, and

Fig.6 is atransverse sectional view of the cartridge assembly,'as takenalong line 6-6 in'Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing by suitable reference characters, the presentlyimproved circuitbreaker contact cartridge includes a generally tubularcasing member [0 closed at one end by a circular head member ll which isenlarged to provide a mounting shoulder l2 which in cartridge assembly,seats upon a portion of the magneto frame (not shown) with the tubularportion Ill extending within the magneto for operative association ofthe cartridge unit with the usual circuit breaker actuating cam (notshown). Slidably received in the member Ill is a tubular member 14 whichhas an expanded portion l5 riding in an undercut section It of memberIS. Displacement of member l4 inwardly of member ID is limited byshoulder [8, while outward displacement of member M is limited by aninturned flange 9 at the open end of member Hi, engageable by the endportion 22 of member M. Member M is biased toward the end 20 of thecasing member In, by a suitable compression spring 23 bearing betweenthe inner side of head H and the inner end 24 of member I l. The movablecontact 26 of the unit is positioned internally of member l4, as on theend Wall 24 of the latter, and cooperating with contact is thestationary contact 21. Contact 21 is suitably attached to or formed as apart of a block 28 of conducting material, the block in turn beingcarried by'and preferably embedded in a cylinder member 3!! ofinsulating material, arranged within and embraced by member I 4.

As appears in Fig. 1, the cylinder member 38 having a metallic core asconstituted by the block 28, is supported in fixed relation to casing Ilas by a rod or pin element 3! seated through the members 28-and 3i! andhaving its head end 32 projecting through a longitudinal slot 34 inslide member l4, and'through an opening 35 in a side wall of member ID.The end 32 issleeved in an insulating collar 36 which projects throughopenings 35 and 34 as shown in Fig. 1. Similarly, the opposite end 38 ofpin 3i extends through a similar longitudinal slot 39 in slide member l4and through a side wall opening 43' in member Ill, with the pin end 38received in an insulating collar 42 extending through the openings '40and 39. As shown in Fig. 1, the pin 3! is retainedin assembly preferablyby a cotter element 43 snapped into place in an annular groove 44provided at the pin end 38. Thus it will appear that the stationarycontact 21 is fully insulated through the collars 38 and42, as well astheinsulating carriage 30, fromboththe slide member-l4 and the casingmember l0,this' being efiected because the latter two members providethe groundin connection for the movable contact 26. Circuit connectionto the stationary contact 21 is made conveniently through the pin 3 I,as by suitable connection of a magneto primary circuit lead (not shown)to one end of the pin. It is to be noted here that magneto primarycircuit connection to contact 21 through pin 3| is made in a manner suchas to permit ready removal of the cartridge unit for replacement by anew unit, as in the event of contact failure. The connection forexample, may be a coiled, flexible lead having its terminal end screwedor otherwise removably attached to the pin 3| at either of its exposedends. The flexible lead thus would extend with the cartridge unit onremoval of the latter, and thereby become accessible for disconnectionfrom the removed unit and application to the substitute unit. However, apresently preferred form of connection is shown diagrammatically, inFig. 1, as comprising a spring contact finger 45 which is suitablymounted in the magneto assembly in a position to be engaged by the headend 32 of pin 3|, in the magneto assembled position of the contactcartridge unit.

Magneto cam actuation of slide member M which carries the movablecontact 26, is here effected by a cam follower member 46 having acam-engageable nose portion 4?, the cam follower being fixedly mountedin the end portion l5 of slide member I 4, as by the end wall 22 ofmember H5 in end-engagement with member 46 to hold the same in member 14against an internal shoulder 48 of the latter. The cam follower ismaintained in proper position for cam actuation, by the pin 3! whichhere prevents angular or rotary movement of the member M in the casingor shell l0.

Casing member I is provided with diametrically opposite openings 50which afford through similarly disposed openings in slide member M,ventilation of the cartridge interior in the region of the contacts26-47. Further, since these openings are in the region of said contacts,they afford inspection openings, afiording a view of the contacts ineither open or closed. condition.

To facilitate proper location of the cartridge unit in assembly to amagneto, the unit is provided with a locating pin or pro ection 52disposed in the region of the head seat I 2, for reception in a suitableslot or opening provided in a wall of the magneto (not shown). Throughpin 52, the cartridge unit is located such as properly to relate thefollower nose element 41 to the magneto cam (not shown).

As shown in Fig. l, the slide member l4 under the influence of spring23, is displaced to engage its contact 26 with stationary contact 271.Now upon magneto operation to cause cam lift or displacement of thefollower member 46, the latter because of. its fixed assembly to slidemember !4, thereby effects an inward displacement of the slide memberagainst spring 23, such as to produce an opening of the contacts 2621.The cycle of contact opening and closing continues in this manner,throughout magneto operation.

The cartridge unit may be retained in assembly to the magneto in anysuitable manner. However, it is here preferred to employ a rod-likemember 60 curved for reception in a transverse groove 6! in the outersurface of the cartridge head member [2, the ends of member 60 beingformed to present eyes 52 for reception of mounting screws or the like.Thus upon removal of member 60, the cartridge unit may be readilyremoved from its assembly position in the magneto,

and replaced by a like unit, this without otherwise disturbing themagneto structure.

Having now described and illustrated a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention, What I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent l. Acam-actuated circuit breaker unit comprising a generally tubular casing,a tubular member slidable longitudinally in the casing, a movablecontact carried by the member therein, said member having oppositelongitudinal slots, a pin extending transversely of the casing andtubular member through said slots in the latter, and supported by thecasing, an element carried by said pin and disposed in said tubularmember, a stationary contact on said element for cooperation with saidmovable contact, a spring constantly biasing said member in thedirection to effect engagement of the contacts, and a camfollower fixedin the member and exposed at one end of the casing for cam actuation tomove said member in the direction to effect separation o the contacts.

2. A circuit breaker contact device for an ignition magneto having abreaker operating cam, the device being provided as a separate unitadapted for removable application to the magneto in a position foroperation by the magneto breaker operating cam, said unit comprising atubular casing having a flanged head for mounting the unit in themagneto, a pin carried by the casing and extending transversely therein,an element supported by said pin within the casing, a stationary contacton said element, a tubular member slidable longitudinally in the casingand. embracing said element, a movable contact carried bysaid membertherein for cooperation with said stationary contact, a spring betweensaid member and the flanged head of said casing, biasing the member inthe direction to efiect engagement of said contacts, and a cam-followerfixed in the member and exposed at one end of the casing for camactuation to move said member in the direction to effect separation ofsaid contacts.

3. A circuit breaker contact device for an ignition magneto having abreaker operating cam, the device being provided as a complete unitseparate from the magneto and adapted for removable application theretoin a position for operation by the magneto breaker operating cam, saidunit com rising a tubular casing having a flanged head for mounting theunit in the magneto, a cylindrical member of insulating material havinga metallic core therein, a pin extending transversely through saidmember and the core thereof and having its ends supported in wallportions of said casing, said pin supporting said member substantiallycentrally within the casing, a stationary contact carried by themetallic core of said member, a tubular member slidable in said casingand sleeved over said cylindrical member, the tubular member havingslots therein receiving said pin therethrough, a movable contact carriedby the tubular member therein, for cooperation with said stationarycontact, a spring biasing said tubular member in the direction to effectengagement of said contacts, and a cam-follower on the tubular memberand exposed at one end of the casing for cam actuation to move thetubular member in the direction to effect separation of said contacts.

4. A circuit breaker contact device in accordance with claim 3,characterized further by 6 REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,084,645 Lehman Jan. 20, 19141,540,603 Clark June 2, 1925 1,919,210 Douglas July 25, 1933 102,106,721 Chermendy Feb. 1, 1938

